Putting Bob in His Place

We dive into the Petersen Publishing Co. film archive seeking answers to old questions. We come away with more new questions than answers, every time. We blame career Petersen photographer Bob D’Olivo for storing the black-and-white film exposed by company staffers since March 1955. Bob is pictured in the last place we expected to find him: On the right edge of an image that did not include him when published (May 1956 HRM). We had to wonder why. Bob’s colleague obviously composed his shot around the guy flying their magazine’s flag. Were Bob’s trademark white pants deemed too tight for school librarians’ eyes? Why did the art director hack him off at the elbow? (See what we mean about new questions?)

D’Olivo was equally surprised to see all that Ray Brock saw through his viewfinder 60 years ago, as Tim Flock approached them at 140 mph. “This is the Daytona Beach original beach-and-road course,” Bob explained. “They ran south on pavement, then turned left to go down to the beach, heading north, and back onto pavement. Hell, 140 is nothing today!” NASCAR’s defending Grand National champ went on to win the combination-modified-sportsman event in this Olds-powered 1939 Chevy, then the main event in a Chrysler. (Find much more about 1956’s wild Speed Weeks in this issue’s second installment of the Power Struggles series.)